Mixed metaphor
Mixed metaphors were a common problem amongst members of the Tannen family. Biff's mixed metaphor Biff Tannen was infamous for missing the joke in a humorous expression, and then reciting it back incorrectly (although he did get better at them as he got older). Examples: *"Why don't you make like a tree... and get out of here." What Biff had heard before was the pun "Make like a tree, and leave".Back to the Future *"That's about as funny as a screen door on a battleship." As Marty noted from a distance, the joke was about "a screen door on a submarine".Back to the Future Part II *When confronted by aliens (actually Marty, along with Jules and Verne Brown) in 1967 and told not to reveal their visit to the planet, Biff promised to keep quiet. When questioned on his promise, he responded "Cross my heart and hope to live", instead of "Cross my heart and hope to die". *"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the butt." What Biff heard before was "I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth".Back to the Future: The Game Epsiode 1 "It's About Time"- Biff messes up the metaphor when asked by Marty why he's at Doc's estate sale if approached before checking out the model of the town. *Having found Doc's notebook in the model courthouse, Biff read "flux capacitor" as "flux catheter". *"It's time to race the music." Marty responds, "It's face the music, you idiot."Back to the Future: The Game Episode 3 "Citizen Brown"- If you take long to stop Biff, then he'll say the aforementioned metaphor. *By 1991, Biff continued to mangle phrases. While breaking into the Institute of Future Technology, he knocked down some guards and yelled, "Have a nice trip! See you next winter!" although the joke is "See you next fall!".Back to the Future: The Ride When talking about a satellite dish, he referred to getting "one of those satellite plates"."Hill Valley Brown-Out" *In 1992, Biff showed the deed to the Parker family ranch to prove his ownership of it while saying "Read it and cry". What Biff heard before was "Read it and weep". In the 1986G timeline, Marty while disguised as a guard at the Citizen Plus ward, came upon Biff's cell. Finding that the intercom didn't work on his end, Marty states that if it was working, he'd be hearing nothing but cursing or mixed metaphors.Marty makes this statement when the player first uses the intercom on Biff's cell in Episode 4 "Double Visions". Other Tannens' mixed metaphors Buford Tannen used the mixed metaphor "I'll hunt you and shoot you down like a duck" instead of "like a dog". He was corrected by one of his gang members.Back to the Future Part III In 1926, D.W. Tannen despite claims of putting a dummy in the barrel going down the waterfall, plans to keep 4-year-old Emmett Brown in there. He stated that he wanted it to look like "The Real MacDonald". His employee corrected him asking if he meant "The Real McCoy". Within the 1986F timeline, Riff Tannen upon explaining where he and Cliff come from answered "It's called the bird and the bugs." No one here provided him with the correct expression ("Bird and the bees").Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 2: Get Tannen! By 2091, Biff's great-great-grandson Ziff Tannen said "I'm going to make like a banana and skedaddle", although the joke is "make like a banana and split". Behind the scenes *By 1985, people were no longer saying "Make like a tree and leave". Biff's bullying threat to Marty drew laughs anyway, partly because it was such a strange thing to say, and partly because it broke the tension caused by the confrontation. In Part II, Biff repeated the statement, and this time, old Biff explained the joke, adding, "It's leave, you idiot! Make like a tree and leave! You sound like a damn fool when you say it wrong!". *The Tannens might not have been alone in getting a statement wrong. In 2015, Marty said to Griff Tannen, "What are you, deaf and stupid?" rather than "deaf and dumb". "Dumb", in the context of "deaf and dumb" refers to being unable to talk (as in the case of a deaf and mute person), rather than stupid. Various possibilities are that Marty had mangled the phrase, he had heard it said that way, or that deafness and stupidity were just two of Griff's traits. Appearances *''Back to the Future trilogy'' *''Back to the Future: The Ride'' *''Back to the Future: The Animated Series'' **"Solar Sailors" **"Gone Fishin'" **"A Friend In Deed" **"My Pop's an Alien *''Back to the Future: The Game'' **''Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1: It's About Time'' **''Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 2: Get Tannen!'' **''Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 3: Citizen Brown'' **''Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 4: Double Visions'' Notes and references Category:Words and phrases Category:1885 Category:1926 Category:1931 Category:1967 Category:1985 Category:1986 Category:1986E Category:1986F Category:1986G Category:1991 Category:1992 Category:2091